IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i4p2972-d1060015.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Design of a 5th Generation District Heating Substation Prototype for a Real Case Study

Author

Listed:
  • Gianni Martinazzoli

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy)

  • Daniele Pasinelli

    (A2A Calore & Servizi S.r.l., 25124 Brescia, Italy)

  • Adriano Maria Lezzi

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy)

  • Mariagrazia Pilotelli

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy)

Abstract

The evolution of district heating networks is moving toward low temperatures in heat distribution with so called 4th generation networks. However, the lowest heat transfer fluid temperatures in district heating are achieved through ultra-low temperature networks, referred to as 5th generation district heating networks (5GDHNs). Low temperatures in heat distribution results in an extremely different configuration of 5GDHN compared to traditional district heating network, especially in the grid substation due to the inability to directly couple the grid with the buildings. This paper presents a detailed design of a 5th generation substation prototype, which is carried out to verify the proper operation and monitor the performance of this type of substation in a real case study. The prototype is fed by low-temperature waste heat, currently dissipated through evaporative towers, and will be built in the city of Brescia, Italy. The layout of the substation prototype, consisting of a bidirectional pumping system, a reversible water-to-water heat pump, an inertial thermal energy storage and a heat exchanger, is presented. An analysis is performed to figure out which refrigerant offers the best performance of the heat pump. In addition, fixed the refrigerant, the performance of the grid connected heat pump is found to be increased from 29.5% to 55.5% for both heating and cooling compared with a stand-alone air-to-water heat pump solution. Finally, the process flow diagram and the piping and instrumentation diagram of the substation are presented and commented.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianni Martinazzoli & Daniele Pasinelli & Adriano Maria Lezzi & Mariagrazia Pilotelli, 2023. "Design of a 5th Generation District Heating Substation Prototype for a Real Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:2972-:d:1060015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/2972/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/2972/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pipiciello, Mauro & Caldera, Matteo & Cozzini, Marco & Ancona, Maria A. & Melino, Francesco & Di Pietra, Biagio, 2021. "Experimental characterization of a prototype of bidirectional substation for district heating with thermal prosumers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    2. Quirosa, Gonzalo & Torres, Miguel & Chacartegui, Ricardo, 2022. "Analysis of the integration of photovoltaic excess into a 5th generation district heating and cooling system for network energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    3. Lund, H. & Möller, B. & Mathiesen, B.V. & Dyrelund, A., 2010. "The role of district heating in future renewable energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 1381-1390.
    4. Selva Calixto & Marco Cozzini & Giampaolo Manzolini, 2021. "Modelling of an Existing Neutral Temperature District Heating Network: Detailed and Approximate Approaches," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-16, January.
    5. Robin Zeh & Björn Ohlsen & David Philipp & David Bertermann & Tim Kotz & Nikola Jocić & Volker Stockinger, 2021. "Large-Scale Geothermal Collector Systems for 5th Generation District Heating and Cooling Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Meibodi, Saleh S. & Loveridge, Fleur, 2022. "The future role of energy geostructures in fifth generation district heating and cooling networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    7. Pilotelli, M. & Grassi, B. & Lezzi, A.M. & Beretta, G.P., 2022. "Flow models of perforated manifolds and plates for the design of a large thermal storage tank for district heating with minimal maldistribution and thermocline growth," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    8. Licklederer, Thomas & Hamacher, Thomas & Kramer, Michael & Perić, Vedran S., 2021. "Thermohydraulic model of Smart Thermal Grids with bidirectional power flow between prosumers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    9. Wirtz, Marco & Kivilip, Lukas & Remmen, Peter & Müller, Dirk, 2020. "5th Generation District Heating: A novel design approach based on mathematical optimization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    10. Hermansen, Rune & Smith, Kevin & Thorsen, Jan Eric & Wang, Jiawei & Zong, Yi, 2022. "Model predictive control for a heat booster substation in ultra low temperature district heating systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PA).
    11. Gudmundsson, Oddgeir & Schmidt, Ralf-Roman & Dyrelund, Anders & Thorsen, Jan Eric, 2022. "Economic comparison of 4GDH and 5GDH systems – Using a case study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PA).
    12. Lund, Henrik & Werner, Sven & Wiltshire, Robin & Svendsen, Svend & Thorsen, Jan Eric & Hvelplund, Frede & Mathiesen, Brian Vad, 2014. "4th Generation District Heating (4GDH)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 1-11.
    13. Reiners, Tobias & Gross, Michel & Altieri, Lisa & Wagner, Hermann-Josef & Bertsch, Valentin, 2021. "Heat pump efficiency in fifth generation ultra-low temperature district heating networks using a wastewater heat source," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mengting Jiang & Camilo Rindt & David M. J. Smeulders, 2022. "Optimal Planning of Future District Heating Systems—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-38, September.
    2. Quirosa, Gonzalo & Torres, Miguel & Chacartegui, Ricardo, 2022. "Analysis of the integration of photovoltaic excess into a 5th generation district heating and cooling system for network energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    3. Quirosa, Gonzalo & Torres, Miguel & Becerra, José A. & Jiménez-Espadafor, Francisco J. & Chacartegui, Ricardo, 2023. "Energy analysis of an ultra-low temperature district heating and cooling system with coaxial borehole heat exchangers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PA).
    4. Michael Mans & Tobias Blacha & Thomas Schreiber & Dirk Müller, 2022. "Development and Application of an Open-Source Framework for Automated Thermal Network Generation and Simulations in Modelica," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-25, June.
    5. Pietro Catrini & Tancredi Testasecca & Alessandro Buscemi & Antonio Piacentino, 2022. "Exergoeconomics as a Cost-Accounting Method in Thermal Grids with the Presence of Renewable Energy Producers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-27, March.
    6. Jordi García-Céspedes & Ignasi Herms & Georgina Arnó & José Juan de Felipe, 2022. "Fifth-Generation District Heating and Cooling Networks Based on Shallow Geothermal Energy: A review and Possible Solutions for Mediterranean Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-31, December.
    7. Zhou, Suyang & Chen, Jinyi & Gu, Wei & Fang, Xin & Yuan, Xiaodong, 2023. "An adaptive space-step simulation approach for steam heating network considering condensate loss," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PA).
    8. Abugabbara, Marwan & Javed, Saqib & Johansson, Dennis, 2022. "A simulation model for the design and analysis of district systems with simultaneous heating and cooling demands," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PA).
    9. Belliardi, Marco & Caputo, Paola & Ferla, Giulio & Cereghetti, Nerio & Antonioli Mantegazzini, Barbara, 2023. "An innovative application of 5GDHC: A techno-economic assessment of shallow geothermal systems potential in different European climates," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    10. Angelidis, O. & Ioannou, A. & Friedrich, D. & Thomson, A. & Falcone, G., 2023. "District heating and cooling networks with decentralised energy substations: Opportunities and barriers for holistic energy system decarbonisation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    11. Chicherin, Stanislav & Zhuikov, Andrey & Junussova, Lyazzat, 2022. "The new method for hydraulic calculations of a district heating (DH) network," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    12. Li, Haoran & Hou, Juan & Hong, Tianzhen & Nord, Natasa, 2022. "Distinguish between the economic optimal and lowest distribution temperatures for heat-prosumer-based district heating systems with short-term thermal energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    13. Sayegh, M.A. & Danielewicz, J. & Nannou, T. & Miniewicz, M. & Jadwiszczak, P. & Piekarska, K. & Jouhara, H., 2017. "Trends of European research and development in district heating technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P2), pages 1183-1192.
    14. Doračić, Borna & Pukšec, Tomislav & Schneider, Daniel Rolph & Duić, Neven, 2020. "The effect of different parameters of the excess heat source on the levelized cost of excess heat," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    15. Hinker, Jonas & Hemkendreis, Christian & Drewing, Emily & März, Steven & Hidalgo Rodríguez, Diego I. & Myrzik, Johanna M.A., 2017. "A novel conceptual model facilitating the derivation of agent-based models for analyzing socio-technical optimality gaps in the energy domain," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 1219-1230.
    16. Wirtz, Marco, 2023. "nPro: A web-based planning tool for designing district energy systems and thermal networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    17. Grundahl, Lars & Nielsen, Steffen & Lund, Henrik & Möller, Bernd, 2016. "Comparison of district heating expansion potential based on consumer-economy or socio-economy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(P3), pages 1771-1778.
    18. Amelia DIACONU & Maria-Loredana POPESCU & Sorin BURLACU & Ovidiu Cristian Andrei BUZOIANU, 2019. "Strategic Options For The Development Of Renewable Energy In The Context Of Globalization," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 13(1), pages 1022-1029, November.
    19. Soheil Kavian & Mohsen Saffari Pour & Ali Hakkaki-Fard, 2019. "Optimized Design of the District Heating System by Considering the Techno-Economic Aspects and Future Weather Projection," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-30, May.
    20. Vinagre Díaz, Juan José & Wilby, Mark Richard & Rodríguez González, Ana Belén, 2015. "The wasted energy: A metric to set up appropriate targets in our path towards fully renewable energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 90(P1), pages 900-909.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:2972-:d:1060015. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.